LONDON, June 23 — Manchester City have signed Paraguayan striker Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn Rovers, the Premier League club said yesterday.
“I’m very happy to have signed for City,” Santa Cruz told the club’s website after agreeing a four-year contract. “It’s been close to happening for a while, and now I can just focus on football and concentrate on doing my best for the club.
City gave no details of the deal for the 27-year-old who joined Rovers from Bundesliga side Bayern Munich in 2007. British media said the fee was around £18 million (RM104 million).
City, owned by Abu Dhabi billionaire Sheikh Mansour bin Zayad al Nahyan, have also signed England midfielder Gareth Barry from Aston Villa as they bid to push for Champions League qualification next season.
“The owners want the club to be more successful,” Santa Cruz added. They want to break into the top four, and the fact that the fans are so passionate about everything to do with City was also a factor.”
Santa Cruz, who has scored 20 times in more than 60 appearances for his country, links up again with City manager Mark Hughes who signed him when in charge at Rovers.
“We’re obviously delighted to get him here,” Hughes said. It was really important that we signed him, because it’s an area of the squad that we have needed to address for some time, and the qualities Roque brings will be of great benefit.
“His ability in the air and his physical presence are qualities we’ve been missing.” — Reuters
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